The present invention relates generally to fuel dispensers and, more particularly, to fuel dispensers and systems capable of communicating with various types of transponders and detecting their movement within and throughout a fueling environment.
In recent years, traditional gasoline pumps and service stations have evolved into elaborate point-of-sale (POS) devices having sophisticated control electronics and user interfaces with large displays and touch-pads or screens. The dispensers include various types of payment means, such as card readers and cash acceptors, to expedite and further enhance fueling transactions. A customer is not limited to the purchase of fuel at the dispenser. More recent dispensers allow the customer to purchase services, such as car washes, and goods, such as fast food or convenience store products at the dispenser. Once purchased, the customer need only pick up the goods and services at the station store or the outlet of a vending machine.
Remote transaction systems have evolved wherein the fuel dispenser is adapted to communicate with various types of remote communication devices, such as transponders, to provide various types of identification and information to the fuel dispenser automatically. Given the sophistication of these transaction systems and the numerous choices provided to the customer at the dispenser, conducting transactions with transponders will be useful to allow the dispenser and fuel station store to monitor the movement of a person carrying a transponder and a vehicle having a transponder, enhance transaction and marketing efficiencies, and improve safety in the fueling environment.
With the enhancements and transaction efficiencies associated with using transponders, security concerns arise based on theft of information transmitted to and from the transponders, as well as theft of the transponders themselves. The present invention addresses the issue of stolen transponders in a number of ways. Preferably, a database is maintained which keeps track of stolen or lost transponder ID""s and is checked by the dispenser, central control or associated system prior to authorizing each fueling operation in which transponders are used. The database may be kept at the dispenser, central control system or at the remote network for more regional or national protection. Where the transponder is intelligent, the dispenser control system may send a signal to the transponder to disable the transponder, act to inhibit future transactions, or alert other fueling environments when subsequent transactions are attempted.
Accordingly, one aspect of the current invention is to provide a dispensing system for deterring and preventing transponder misuse in a fueling environment. The system includes a fuel dispenser associated with a control system and a receiver adapted to receive signals, including identification indicia from a remote communications unit associated with a customer. The receiver operates in conjunction with the control system to provide the control system with the first indicia and determine if the remote communications unit has been lost, stolen or used in an unauthorized manner. The control system is adapted to prevent fueling and transaction continuance upon determining the remote communications unit in communication if the dispenser was lost, stolen or used in an unauthorized manner.
Preferably, the dispenser is further associated with a transmitter operating in conjunction with the control system wherein the control system is adapted to provide an unauthorized use signal for transmission to the remote communications unit via the transmitter upon determining the remote communications unit was lost, stolen or used in an unauthorized manner. The signal may cause the remote communications unit to act in a manner aiding in the prevention of subsequent authorizations by the same or other dispensers in the same or other fueling environments.
In one embodiment, the control system determines the remote communications unit was lost, stolen or used in an unauthorized manner by operating to access a database having identification indicia of remote communication units. The control system, upon receiving the indicia from the remote communications unit, will determine whether or not the remote communications unit was lost, stolen or used in an unauthorized manner based on information in the database associated with the identification indicia. Notably, the control system may be located at the dispenser, at a central site location in a fuel station store, at a remote network, or any combination thereof. Typically, a control system in a fuel station store will include one or more controllers in the fuel dispenser operating in association with a central site controller operating to control multiple dispensers and communicate with a remote network to access various information, including authorization for card transactions.
Preferably, the control system is adapted to communicate with a transponder and receive information indicating the remote communications unit is lost, stolen or has been used in an unauthorized manner based on prior communications with the remote communications unit. In these situations, the control system may download as much historical information as possible from the remote communications unit in order to gather information related to previous unauthorized transactions or attempts thereof. The control system may associate information received from a card reader or even trigger the taking and storing of images of the customer using the remote communications unit using an associated camera. Preferably, the control system provides an operator indicator to alert a station operator of the presence of a remote communications unit which has been lost, stolen or used in an unauthorized manner.
Typically, the remote communications unit will be a classical transponder adapted to respond to an interrogation signal provided by the dispenser communications electronics, which will include the receiver and transmitter, and any other electronics necessary to facilitate wireless communications.
Another aspect of the invention is to provide a method of dispensing fuel to deter and prevent transponder misuse in a fueling environment. The method includes receiving signals, including identification indicia, from a remote communications unit associated with a customer at a fuel dispenser and determining if the remote communications unit has been lost, stolen or used in an unauthorized manner. If the remote communications unit is lost, stolen or used in an unauthorized manner, the method prevents fueling and transaction continuance. The method may also include transmitting, signals to a remote communications unit and providing an unauthorized use signal for transmission to the remote communications unit upon determining that use of the remote communications unit is unauthorized. Furthermore, the method may include accessing a database having identification indicia of the various remote communications units and receiving indicia from the database to determine whether or not the remote communications units have been lost, stolen or used in an unauthorized manner.